It’s Sunday morning and my daughter and I are in Fredericksburg, which Google Maps says is two and a half hours from home. With traffic jams, travel here was closer to four hours.
National Weather Service Wakefield, VA
It’s soccer tournament time. My wife is with my son at his soccer tournament. Fortunately the total of the kids at home don’t outnumber the parents.
It’s pouring rain at both locations.
My son’s games for today have already been cancelled. We’re waiting to see what happens with my daughter. Rumor is that only one field (artificial turf) is available, so only the championship game will be played. They’re supposedly trying to figure out which teams will be playing.
Real mommies and daddies are there for their children.
At soccer.
In the rain.
Or at their concert, recital, science fair, other sports event or whatever.
sfnowak 
And wrestle with when to intervene and when to let the child work it out. I remember the first time I got to a H.S. soccer game as my son was getting back on the bus because I had to work and then the traffic… I stood there with tears rolling down my cheeks as he said it was ok (but please don’t break into sobs, mom). Going farther back I remember going to far flung PeeWee football (stupid, macho sport) games and watching him on the sidelines because at 8 he thought he was really hustling but the coaches had other ideas…